Main Menu>The Solar SystemThe Big Picture
The Earth is one small planet in a vast Solar System. It formed as a byproduct of the Sun's birth—along with all the other planets, moons, asteroids, meteoroids, and comets.

The Moon
A mere 386,000 km (240,000 mi) away, the Moon is our closest neighbor. From lunar rocks, we have learned that this body's amazing origins are intimately linked to the Earth's. Yet, the Moon bears little resemblance to our own planet. The quiet Moon we see today belies the violence of its distant past.

Impacts
The collision and sticking together of objects is the fundamental process that formed the solid bodies in our Solar System and continues to shape them today. From the first gentle clumping together of tiny grains to the catastrophic asteroid impact that probably killed off Earth's dinosaurs, collisions have left their imprint on all the rocky bodies arrayed around our Sun.

Meteorites
Meteorites are precious rocks that preserve material from the birth of the Solar System 4.6 billion years ago. Some are actual pieces of the original matter from which the planets were assembled. Others are fragments of asteroids that grew hot enough to develop crusts, mantles, and cores. When these extraterrestrial rocks land on Earth, they provide an extraordinary opportunity to piece together the history of our Solar System's birth and evolution.